Bad Tattoos and Secondhand Stories
by tthenoblewarr
Summary: All she really wanted to say was, "I'm sorry. Please, stay. Don't leave. I didn't have a choice." But the words got swallowed up and all she could manage was a simple, "Fine. Then, go." He stared at her, disbelieving. "How could you do this to me?"
1. chapter one

**A/N:** The lines from the summary will be used and explained in a later chapter.

This is my very first _Takers_ fic and I feel that the beginning is terribly slow as it's only purpose, I'm afraid, is just to introduce the characters. Rest assured, though, that it will be picking up fairly quick and although it may not seem like it in this chapter, it _will_ involve much more AJ.

If it's confusing at all, please feel free to let me know so I can clarify a few things in oncoming chapters. To be honest, I've never actually finished any of my multi-chapter stories, however, I've got a set storyline with this one (which means I'm dead set on getting it finished should the story get feedback to do so. Did that even make sense? Flaming and criticism is also welcome).

Anyway, I'll continue my ramblings in later chapters. Any and all errors are my own. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **Only the character of Chase is mine. If the boys were...

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><p>"John, I got it," Chase scolded as he attempted to grab the suitcase from her hands. "Stop treating me like I'm five."<p>

"Then stop acting like you're five," he joked back playfully, earning him a shocked expression followed by a glimpse of Chase's tongue as she stuck it out to show her disapproval of his last statement. He let out a small laugh, pearly whites gleaming because she'd just proven his accusation to be true.

"Are you sure you don't mind me crashing here for a few weeks?" she asked him guiltily, stopping at his front door. She didn't want him to feel like he had to do her any favors and this certainly was a huge one.

Inserting the key into the lock, he told her, "I've known you since you were in diapers. You're practically the little sister I never wanted." His smirk at his own comment didn't go unnoticed by her. "You can stay as long as you like. It's really no inconvenience." He opened the door and stepped aside so she could walk in first.

And what she saw stunned her. "Oh, my God," she breathed. His house was of the kind that she'd imagined only existed in movies. Glass windows substituted a wall that should have been to the left of her. Beyond it was a deck that accompanied an in-ground pool and she made a mental note to try out the Jacuzzi at a later date. To her right, she noticed a steel staircase that led to the upper floor, where she assumed the bedrooms and possibly master bathroom would be. Taking a few more steps in, she became aware of the mini bar and a kitchen only a master chef should own. She had to stop herself there, the shock still setting it's way in.

It was definitely a step up from her shitty little dormroom.

"So I see you upgraded since the last time I saw you." She remembered the crappy old apartment he'd gotten when he was just barely legal and how, despite the dingy carpet and the loud neighbors, he'd been so proud. She was only 15 when he leased that apartment and by the time she was 18 and off to college, he still had it. "Looks like things have changed quite a bit in three years, huh? I'm a college dropout and you're…a friggin' multimillionaire. When did this happen?"

"I picked up a couple extra jobs over the years," he said casually, shrugging his shoulders. "No big deal."

She turned to face him, green eyes wild. "No big deal?" She scoffed. "John, have you seen your house?"

"I do, occasionally, wander around it. Yes," he stated sarcastically.

That just earned him a sneer from Chase. "Ha. Ha," she deadpanned. "Very funny."

Desperate to change the subject for fear of her finding out his little secret, he said, "I'll show you where the guest bedroom is and you can get ready. It's almost 9:00. We gotta get going."

"Wait, what?" Chase questioned. John took advantage of her confused state of mind and snatched her suitcase from her before she could react. "Get going where?"

Her gaze followed his movements towards the stairs and halted when he did, halfway up. He looked down at her from where he stood, one hand on the railing. "There's some people I want you to meet," he smirked.

"Like who?" She spoke cautiously. "John, all I want to do is take a shower and sleep."

John just laughed softly to himself as he continued to ascend to the staircase. "Come on," he told his friend. "While you're in the shower, I'll bring in the rest of your bags."

"But-," Chase protested, her feet finally working as she began to race up the stairs after him. The only thing she had been planning on doing tonight was getting intimate with the mattress. She wasn't necessarily in the mood to make small talk with people she didn't know. Imagining how awkward the rest of her night had the potential to be made her cringe. "John!" she whined.

Peeking his head out of what she supposed was her new room, he said, "Oh, and, uh, wear something nice."

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><p>Two hours later, they had successfully made it to their destination.<p>

"Was it really necessary to spend that long on your hair?" John asked, slightly annoyed, as they walked through the double doors that introduced them to his friend's club.

Chase gave him an innocent look and responded with, "What? I told you I didn't want to go."

"Right, so you get back at me by stalling and making me wait forever for you?"

Her only reply was a bright smile, but Chase knew that even though she had been reluctant to show up, she'd still wanted to make a good first impression. After all, these were her best friend's best friends. So, she had taken her time twisting her hair into loose curls and picking out an outfit (which she changed four times before John busted in her room and dragged her to the car).

"John," Chase heard a sultry voice say behind them. As they pair turned around, they were greeted by a pretty face and Chase felt a tinge of jealousy over the woman's smooth mocha skin. "They were just asking about you upstairs." Noticing the newcomer, the woman asked with a polite smile, "And who might this be?"

John motioned towards Chase as he spoke. "Lily, this is Chase. Chase, Lily."

"Oh, I've heard your name mentioned by this one a few times. It's nice to meet you." Lily held out her hand which Chase gladly shook in return.

"You, too," Chase said, tensing up a bit as her nerves grew. Taking in Lily's appearance, she noticed that she was definitely underdressed in her darkwash skinny jeans, but she thanked whatever higher power watching over her that she'd decided to match them with a pair of black pumps, creating the illusion that she was classier than she knew she was.

"I'm needed behind the bar, but don't be strangers tonight."

"Alright," John told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before she left. "They all up there?"

"Yes, sir," she said, before disappearing into the growing crowd.

"All?" Feeling the slight panic in her voice, Chase cleared her throat of whatever insecurities had been clogging it. "How many of them are there?"

"Care to find out?" And just like that, he was retreating away from her and into a swarm of people.

On the short walk it took to reach the stairs, Chase found herself picturing the different scenarios of how the next few moments could play out. She thought of all the stares that would be directed her way (or maybe they'd just ignore her completely), flinching inwardly at the idea of all the unwanted attention (or possibly lack there of). She thought of all the inside jokes that would go over her head and the awkward laughs she'd give as she tried to figure them out. She thought of made-up conversations and potential clever comebacks to what she imagined they'd say to her in these scenes she was creating in her head. She thought of-

_No. Chase, stop it,_ she scolded herself. _You're overthinking this way too much._

And before she knew it, she was at the top of the stairs with John's tall frame blocking her view.

"Johnny!," she heard from somewhere in front of her, slightly shocked at the English accent it donned. A chuckle from the same voice followed it's exclamation. "What's taken you so long? We were starting to get the impression that you had stood us up."

The scene hit her as John moved aside to greet whoever the voice belonged to and Chase smiled at the typical fashion of how all men seemed to hug each other. "Yeah, you're taking 'fashionably late' to a whole other level," a younger looking man said to her left, not looking up as he was busy shuffling cards.

"Sorry, boys. Something came up," he told them, referencing the phone call Chase had woken him up with at 7:00 in the morning telling him she'd be in town by nightfall. He looked at the girl as he spoke and suddenly Chase was all too aware of the five sets of eyes glued on her. She swore she could feel the burn marks starting to form on her skin from their intense gazes.

After a second of awkward silence, the same man on her left said, "Yeah, 'something came up' alright. Man, John, how many times do we gotta tell you to stop bringing your booty calls 'round here?"

Chase's jaw dropped and she gave her friend a look that screamed _what the hell is he talking about?_.

"Jesse," John laughed. "How many times do we gotta ask you when you're finally gonna hit puberty?" The retort earned a set of light laughs all around, even a mocking one from Jesse who followed it up with a serious expression afterwards.

"You're not funny."

"Anyway," John started, ignoring the last comment, "Guys, this is Chase. She's a good friend of mine from way too long ago and she's in town for a few weeks. Make her feel at home?"

"It's a pleasure." The man with the English accent took a step towards her and shook her hand. "I'm Gordon and these lovely 'gents are Jesse, Jake, AJ, and, of course, you know John." She took in their appearances, each one looking dapper as they all wore some semblance of a tuxedo. They were all sat in leather furniture about the loft, some sipping from fancy glasses while others (mainly Jake and Jesse) sat across from each other using a coffee table to play cards on. They all looked so...proper (and had a slight 1920's mobster look about them). This was not the crowd she had been expecting.

"Have a seat," Jake insisted, motioning to an empty spot next to AJ. She gladly did as she was told, feeling some of the pressure ease up as their attention went to back to a previous conversation they'd been having before her and John had arrived.

It was hard for Chase to keep her attention off of the man sitting next to her, but she didn't want him to get the wrong impression for why she was staring. Simple, menial things had always interested her most and she couldn't help but notice the bowtie around his neck (and how he was the only one wearing one), the black fedora perched on his head (and how thin black stripes decorated the white ribbon on it), and the tattoo peeking out from his suit collar near his neck (and how she swore she could see it vibrate when he talked).

When he leaned in to say something, for a brief moment she felt embarrassment flush her cheeks with a slight shade of pink at the thought of him catching her gaping at him. Instead of showing any sign that he'd noticed, he said, "You'll have to excuse Jesse. His conscience isn't quite as developed as most people's. The only thing smart about him is his mouth."

All she could think about at that moment was how his voice was deeper than she'd expected.

"Chase, was it?" he asked, taking her out her trance. "Short for something?"

"Yeah, actually. It's Chastity, but, for obvious reasons, I really hate being called that," she chuckled a little.

"Well, Chase," his eyes connected with hers, the brief moment almost intimate because of such a stare, and it took everything in her to suppress the shiver itching to shake it's way down her back. "I'm AJ. It's nice to meet you," he spoke with a soft smile.


	2. chapter two

**A/N:** Hey, all. I really don't have too much to say except for thank you to those who have reviewed and/or simply took the time to read this. Your feedback is much appreciated as it helps me gauge what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right. I've PMed responses to those who'd allow it. Hope you're enjoying the story so far.

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><p>A little over an hour into the night, Chase found herself sitting alone at the bar, the idle chatter around her blurring into one soft murmur that she was doing her best to zone out. She had lost John almost immediately after being properly introduced to all four of his buddies and was starting to wonder why he'd even bothered asking her to go. It had only taken not even fifteen minutes before Lily had walked up to the loft with a bottle of champagne, stating, "This is for you," as she pointed to a girl in a green dress on the lower level.<p>

"That's how it's done, boys," John had said, fixing his tie and grabbing the bottle from Lily before venturing off to find his mystery girl.

After the boys had whooped and hollered in approval at John's retreating form, Chase looked at them only half-joking when she said, "Unbelievable. Is that all you guys care about? Sex and women?" Seeing him reach the stairs, she mentally pushed him down them for ditching her with people she'd just barely met. On any other occasion, she'd be happy to mingle with potential new friends, but she wasn't even supposed to be here anyway. But because he'd begged, she'd unwillingly agreed.

And now he was leaving her. _Yep_, she thought bitterly to herself. _Should've just stayed home._

"Nah," came Jesse's voice in response to her previous inquiry. "We value money and cars pretty highly, too."

Smiling sarcastically with her head slightly cocked to the left, she said, "Typical boys." She stood up then, looking for any kind of excuse to dismiss herself for a few moments in order to figure out how she'd get home while her ride was off eye fucking (_or maybe actually fucking_, she inwardly cringed, disgusted at the thought) some random girl. "Alright, I'm gonna go get myself something to drink. Anybody want anything while I'm down there?"

As if on cue, all boys held up their glasses, each one nearly full.

"Right, then," she stated awkwardly. "Nevermind."

That brief interaction was nearly an hour ago and she still couldn't bring herself to head back up to them. She was exhausted and annoyed and risking going to face them would mean risking bitching them out for John's mistake. They were actually kind of decent guys and she wanted them to like her, not be scared of her.

Just as she was about to leave the barstool she was perched on to go find John, a man (possibly in his early 30's) snaked his way into the seat next to her before saying, "Leaving so soon? It's barely midnight."

Taking in his sudden appearance, she responded, "Yeah. Long day."

"Why don't you let me buy you a drink? Help you blow off some steam?" Chase contemplated it for a few seconds, noticing that he really didn't come off as too creepy (he actually looked extremely normal with a slight resemblance to Josh Holloway), but she knew better than to get involved with someone under these circumstances. Hookups only leave a person feeling good for a few hours, allowing the night to mistake the lust of two lonely people for love. Hookups in bars were even worse. Alcoholics were only romantic in the movies.

"I don't drink," she told him, doing her best not to be rude. "I'm only 20."

Not quite catching the hint, he leaned in slightly and said, "It'll be our little secret, then."

Before she even had a chance to shoot him down more directly, a gentle hand was inching its way around her waist and the body heat of another man was keeping her side warm. Startled at first (and ready to throw a swift elbow to the stomach if need be), she regained her composure when she saw the black hat but confusion still left her a little dazed. "There you are," AJ cooed. "I just got off the phone with your mom and, God, that woman is crazy. I really don't think your parents and my parents are going to be able to sit together at the wedding reception. There's just no way that-"

Still not totally understand what was going on, Chase just stared at him blankly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," AJ stopped himself politely, looking at the man who had just been hitting on the girl next to him. "Was I interrupting something?"

Cluing in on AJ's little scheme a little too late, all she offered the man was an apologetic look. "No," he said. "I was, uh, just leaving." And with that, he did as he said, walking away from the couple with his ego only slightly bruised.

When she was sure he was gone, Chase turned on AJ and smacked him on the side of his arm. "Ah! Wha-" he stammered out, trying to gauge what the cause of this reaction was. He had done her a favor, hadn't he?

"That was so mean. I can't believe you just did that." Seeing the smile on her face as she spoke, the tension in his muscles eased up and slowly started to fade.

"You looked like you needed some help," was all he offered as an explanation.

"A little bit of a warning might be nice next time. You're lucky I didn't hit you. I swear, you scared the shit out of me." Despite her attempt to act mad, the tone of her voice was playful and she knew she owed him one. The situation hadn't been in dire need of his aid, but it was a relief to know that someone had been watching out for her and maybe even a little worried about her. _Or, you know, possibly even a little bit jealous_, she silently hoped.

He laughed it off casually, scratching the back of his ear as he asked, "What's been taking you so long anyway?"

"I've been looking for John. I was hoping he'd be ready leave so we could go home." Seeing AJ's eyebrows raise, she answered the question they both knew he was asking. "No, no, no. It's not like that, I promise. He's like my brother. I could never- ugh, gross." She shuddered at the thought of her and John being at all romantically intimate. "Great, thanks for putting that image in my mind. Now, excuse me while I go slam my head into a wall a few dozen times."

Amused with her wit and quirky conversational skills (if you could call them 'skills'), AJ reached for her arm as she turned to leave. "Wait," he chuckled as his hand gripped the pale space between her wrist and her elbow. She turned to face him and for a brief second when their eyes met, the same flood of intensity as the first time hit her and she swore that he was going to lean in and kiss her. But instead, he let go of her arm and said, "That's actually why I came to find you."

"To get me to slam my head into a wall?"

He let out another light laugh and she reveled in its sound. "No. John was looking for you, too. When he couldn't find you, he came back up by us with the champagne girl and told us to let you know he was leaving with her."

"Wait, he left without me?" She couldn't believe it.

Feeling a little uneasy now, he spoke cautiously. "He said you'd know the way back and mentioned something about you being able to take the car."

Chase scoffed, fuming. Instead of throwing a fit and killing the messenger, she asked with a heavy sigh of disapproval, "Alright, where are the keys?"

"He said you had them...?"

"He said I had- You've got to be kidding me." Running a hand violently through her hair, she sat back down on the barstool. "I'm supposed to be sleeping right now," she muttered somewhat pathetically after a long pause.

"Listen," AJ said. He could see her obvious distress and for some reason felt the need to reach out and help her. John was a bit of a playboy and, although he meant well, he was not the same boy Chase remembered. "I was planning on heading out now anyway. His house is on the way. I could drop you off."

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not," he stated. "I'm offering." She looked up at him with her shoulders slightly slouched in defeat and her eyes imploring, trying to figure out if was asking her out of pity. She could barely handle her own and she definitely didn't want his. "Please? Let me make up for John's mistake."

When she still didn't move, he held out his hand for her to take. "Only if you promise to not do me any more favors tonight," she said, placing her hand in his.

Helping her off the stool, he responded with, "I'll do my best to resist."

They made their way back to the parking lot with her trailing behind him and she couldn't help but wonder how many other girls he'd took by the hand just to leave them with an empty bed to wake in to the next morning. But this wasn't anything like that and Chase had to scold herself for being so stereotypical. And then she mentally kicked herself for being so stupid as she thought, _Maybe he's just being this nice so he can get in my pants. God, I should've known._

Oblivious to what was going on inside her head, as he unlocked the doors to his car he asked, "So are you really 20?"

"You don't think I'm 20?"

He put the key in the ignition and turned it, loving the way it roared to life. "No, I just wasn't sure if you'd been bullshitting him."

Intrigued by the man sitting next to her, she asked, "And how old are you?"

He pulled out of the parking lot, allowing the broken yellow lines to lead the way home. "23."

"Oh, so you and John are the same age."

"Well, he's a few months older than I am, but yeah. Gordan's the oldest. He's the one that kind of brought us all together. Jake and Jesse are brothers, but Jesse's kind of the baby of the group. He's only a year younger than you are." The conversation continued on like that for the rest of the drive back to John's, but AJ was careful to avoid any questions regarding anything work-related. He wondered if Chase knew that he was sketching out on some of his responses, but if she did she was good at hiding it. He figured she wouldn't be in town long enough to need to be filled in on the group's secret, anyway.

They finally pulled up to the house and Chase found herself reluctant to get out of the vehicle. "Thanks for the ride," she told him. "If John's got a couple bruises on that pretty face of his the next time you see him, don't ask questions."

Giving her a knowing look, he smiled and said, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Alright, well, thanks again." And with that, she leaned in to give him a hug and it, surprisingly, wasn't as awkward as she'd pictured it to be. When she began to pull away from his embrace, she was shocked to find him still holding on to her when their faces were just mere inches apart. She immediately froze up as she felt his breath mixing with hers and she was powerless stop herself from looking at his lips, imagining what they tasted like. It was like she was in a trance and the only thing that could snap her out of it was-

"I'm sorry," he said to her surprise, letting his grip on her waist loosen until he wasn't holding onto her at all. "We can't-"

Regaining what dignity she had left, she told him, "No, I know. You're right. John would probably freak if he found out. There's no way we could...And I just met you today. It'd end up bad for everyone involved." A small piece of her, though, was slightly crushed that he hadn't gone for it. But not wanting him to know, she said her goodbyes and swiftly made her way up the pathway to reach the front door. Grabbing the spare key from inside the mailbox, she unlocked the door in a hurry to get as far away from AJ as possible. And when she closed it, she leaned her back against the cool smooth surface, sliding her way down until she was sitting on the floor.

She breathed in long inhales of cool air, attempting to rid her brain of whatever lustful desires had been clouding her judgment. She couldn't get involved with one of John's friends. She came here for a reason and the more people she became attached to, the more difficult it would be to keep her secret and accomplish her goal.

_Fuck_, she thought. _What have I gotten myself into?_


	3. chapter three

**A/N: **I can't thank you guys enough for your lovely reviews and feedback. It feeds the muse and fuels my persistence on making this a fic that actually comes to a conclusion. Hope you guys are enjoying it.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for Chase.

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><p>Chase awoke with a start, the crude sound of the doorbell jarring her awake much to her dismay. "John!" she grumbled, but the feeble attempt at getting the older man's attention in the next room failed as her voice came out weak and mumbled, distorted by sleep. She waited, then, hoping that the disturbance wouldn't continue. However, when the doorbell rang again, she let out a frustrated grunt, sat up, and called out, "John!" once again. Glancing at the night stand next to her bed, she cursed to herself, wondering why anyone would want to be awake at 9:14 in the morning.<p>

"God, damn it," she muttered under her breath when, again, came the noise. She tore the covers off her body, her skin not agreeing with the cool air it was greeted with. As soon as her toes met the floor, vertigo crept in and blurred her vision, allowing for an oddly relieving distraction from the absence of warmth that her bed had provided. "John!" she yelled again. Opening her bedroom door, she halted when she heard the soft hum of the shower.

"Fuck," she mumbled, still half asleep. She made her way to the staircase, stumbling down the steps wondering what the hell could be so important at this time of day and why it was her that had to be woken up because of it. So when Chase swung open the door, thoroughly annoyed and shouting, "What?" the last person she expected to see was AJ.

If he was shocked to see her, his expression betrayed him and she wondered how he was able to constantly keep up an essence of nonchalance. "Morning," he told her, the tiniest hint of a smirk playing on the corners of his lips.

Stunned, she just stood there gaping. The thought that he had come to see her, to apologize once again begged him to confess pleas of "I miss you" and "I had to see you." But when all he followed up with was, "Is John home?," Chase became overwhelmed with disappointment in herself for setting her hopes so high on a boy she just barely met. She'd seen too many movies, read too many books, heard too many songs depicting perfect coincidences that never happened in real life, leaving girls (like herself) confusing reality with countless fictional fabrications; so many, in fact, that she was beginning to believe she'd been brainwashed her entire life. She'd been basing her expectations off of filmstrips and screenplays.

Snapping out of it, she straightened up and said, "Yeah." It took her a few seconds to realize that she probably looked terrible with her frenzied hair and makeup smeared eyes. Suddenly, the floor was the most interesting thing to her at that moment.

There was a long pause, awkward silence filling in the spaces between angst and emotional torment, allowing both parties to fully recognize the uncomfortable predicament. Needing something to do with his hands, AJ took a long drag from his cigarette, inhaling nicotine and, unbeknownst to her, a little bit of guilt. He glanced around, unsure of what to do next. "Can you tell him I'm here?" he asked slowly.

Feeling a bit sarcastic (and with the aid of the new bruise her ego donned as he wasn't here for her), she peeked her head around the door and shouted, "John! AJ's here!" She shot the man in front of her an innocent smirk.

AJ just looked at her, unsure of how to go about handling the situation. "I could've done that."

"Yeah, but you didn't." No longer hearing the shower, Chase informed him that John would still be a few minutes guessing that he was just getting dressed.

Once again, there was an awkward pause that passed between the two while AJ tried to plan his next course of action. Girls rarely phased him and he prided himself on his ability to stay levelheaded and keep up his suave appearance, but there was something about this one that had him reeling. "So..." he dragged out. "Can I come in?"

She made a disapproving facial expression. "I don't know. John doesn't really like the smell of cigarette smoke in his house."

"Oh really?" He adjusted his hat with a knowing grin and she was beginning to wonder if the accessory was his trademark.

"Fine," she huffed. "I don't really like the smell of cigarette smoke in my house."

"But this isn't your house," he countered, enjoying the banter a little more than he probably should.

She put her hand on her hip, annoyed with the fact that he had not only woken her up, but was now arguing with her over something so trivial. "Doesn't matter. Put that thing out or you're not coming in."

He let out a light laugh before taking a final hit of his vice and she had to mentally scold herself for daydreaming about what it'd be like to hook her chin over his shoulder while his hands held her in place against his torso. Placing the short into his pack of cigarettes, he looked at her and said, "There. It's out."

She hated how he seemed unaffected by this entire scenario. Pushing the door open further so he could walk inside, she tried to think of when she got so bitchy. "I'm sorry," she confessed when the door was safely closed behind her. "I'm just really cranky in the morning."

"Hmm," he spoke smoothly, leaning up against the wall to her right. "I couldn't tell."

"Hey." She smacked him lightly on his stomach with the back of her hand before crossing her arms. "There's no need for sarcasm."

Laughing once again to cover up any emotion that even hinted at desire, he shot back, "You started it."

Yet again, silence encompassed them and he mulled over how many other uncomfortable situations the pair would find themselves in. It wasn't that he was embarrassed; he just wished he was clever enough to keep her talking. But because of his polished personality that he spent years perfecting, he couldn't afford to care (although he desperately wanted to).

"So, why do you need to see John this early in the morning?," she asked him suspiciously.

AJ looked at her, his skilled expression doing it's best not to give away any information that wasn't necessary for her to know at this time. "It's just work related." Technically, it wasn't a lie. They did have business to attend to; it just involved some relatively questionable activities.

Chase's curiosity peaked at the elusive response. "Work doing what?"

"Ah, you know," he spoke, trying to maintain his mysterious edge. "This and that." His smirk never faltered and she knew full well that he was toying with her. It slightly aggravated her that he seemed to be enjoying himself and her obvious confusion.

"Can you give me more than three word responses? Maybe elaborate a little?" If she couldn't get her roommate's profession out of John himself, maybe she could get it out of one of his best friends.

"Not very likely." Or maybe not.

Ever since she had moved in, she'd gotten vague explanations from John about what he'd been up to in the last three years that earned him such a high economic status. He was no longer in the lower class like she remembered. She'd let it slide for the time being, but Chase had been one of his best friends growing up. It stung a little bit that he didn't seem to trust her enough with the truth. _But he shouldn't trust me_, she remembered guiltily. "You boys sure like to keep your secrets, don't you?"

"Keeps things interesting, doesn't it?"

A few seconds passed and she realized that she had to engage in conversation again before she was tempted to maul him right there. His tattoos were visible up to his elbows and she made a mental note to question him on a later date about the meaning behind them and if there were more hidden in places she had yet to see.

"Or keeps me thoroughly annoyed." Figuring she'd get no answers, she changed the subject. "How long you been smoking for?" No longer caring that she was supposed to give a shit what she looked like, she leaned against the wall opposite him in the small hallway with her hands still folded under her chest. Small talk was a petty hassle that she rarely engaged in because of it's futility, but the quiet was getting to her and just staring at him clearly wasn't an option.

He cleared his throat of the itch to ignore her inquiry and fix last week's mistake with a gentlemanly gesture and a well-worded question, but instead he opted for, "A little after I was legally able to."

"Couldn't just go to a strip club instead with your newfound adulthood?" she questioned, knowing there was more to the story than that simple explanation.

Before he had a chance to respond, John was bounding down the stairs fully clothed and almost matching AJ entirely in his black button-down and dress pants (save for the fact that the younger boy's ensemble consisted of a white shirt rolled up at the sleeves to his elbows [and of course, the ever-present fedora]). "Thought I heard another voice down here. You ready, Ivy League? I just have to grab my keys."

_Ivy League?_, Chase mouthed to AJ, confused.

He rolled his eyes at the nickname and shot her a look indicating that he'd explain later. "Born ready." Pushing himself up from the wall with his elbows now that his hands were in his pockets, he followed John's movements with his eyes and then with his feet as he walked out the door.

Realizing she had no idea what was going on, Chase went after them, stopping at the door to shout, "Wait. Where are you going?"

John reached the end of the pathway and turned around to look at her. "I'll be gone for the rest of the day. We've got a business deal we have to take care of."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she muttered. "Whatever. If it's gonna be another late night, though, could you try not to slam all the doors?"

"Sorry," he said, apologizing for the actions of three days prior. "I'll be quiet this time. Promise."

And with that, Chase closed the door and the boys made their way towards the car. "And by 'business deal' you mean...?" AJ questioned, already knowing the answer as they'd been planning this 'business deal' for weeks.

"You know," John told him all too casually, smiling to himself. "Another heist." This was his favorite part of every robbery. The anticipation right before the group met for a dry-run of the plan excited him like nothing else ever could (well, almost nothing else). The five elements each brought to the table were unique to every individual involved and he often marveled at the concept that the quintet was able to function in tandem fluidly. Granted, they'd had their fair share of mishaps (with one incident morphing a sextet into the quintet they now knew), but their ability to work in sync with each other had always amazed him.

"God, I love this time of year," AJ mused with a slight skip in his step. "But, uh, when are you gonna tell Chase about all this?"

"She doesn't need to know," was the only response John was willing to give.

AJ contemplated this, wondering if their secret would end up biting them in the ass in the end. "I don't know, man," he said with a shrug. "I think she's more intuitive than you give her credit for."

"She's not gonna find out. I'm not letting her get involved in this." His role as 'protective brother' was evident, but subtle.

"You better find a good hiding spot for all this money, then. Otherwise, that girl's gonna be asking a whole lot of questions that you won't have the answers for."

John just looked at AJ. "It was a bad idea agreeing to let her stay here, wasn't it?"

AJ thought about lying, thought about telling him that he should've turned down the girls request, thought about confessing that this arrangement would fuck everything up for the team in the long run. It was only a matter of time before she discovered what they did behind closed doors and surely when she did, she'd be tempted to turn them in, wouldn't she?

With all this running through his head, the only thing that came out of his mouth was a calm, "No. It wasn't," because despite those things, he'd be lying if he said he didn't have a small crush on Chase. It was selfish of him, but emotional attraction wasn't something he let himself give into and fighting the urge to ignore her was becoming more of a challenge every time he parted ways with her. "You were just...doing what you knew she'd do for you."

There was truth behind that statement and it relaxed John, but only for a moment. "I just hope I didn't get her into any more trouble than she needs to be involved in."

"Like she wouldn't get herself involved in some other kind of trouble anyway." From the way John had talked about her this past week and from his rare contact with her, AJ knew his comment was accurate. The girl had spunk.

And the smirk from John just finalized the accuracy. "You and I should have these interactions more often." He was well aware that AJ was quite often a man of few words, but it was moments like these that intensified their friendship, proving that an excess of vocal comfort wasn't always necessary. It was simply saved for the uncommon occurrences when one of the boys needed a short reassurance.

AJ clapped a hand on the older man's shoulder letting him know that he agreed before changing the subject. "The boys back at the club?"

"Yep. Ready to get this thing kickstarted?"

Opening the door to the car, AJ stated again, "Born ready."


End file.
